The Orthodox Church in America Is Failing to Be an American Religion

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Counterpoint in Eastern Orthodox Church music varies depending on the Church.
There is no significant theological difference in the lack of counterpoint.
The Orthodox Church in America is struggling to avoid becoming an American religion.
The influx of former evangelicals into American Orthodoxy is one reason for this struggle.
The lack of a clear protocol for receiving converts in Orthodoxy contributes to the problem.
Many who join the Church come with presuppositions from their previous tradition.
The dominant faction in American Orthodoxy is influenced by American evangelicalism.
Ethnic identity has also played a role in resisting the Americanization of Orthodoxy.
The future of Orthodoxy in America is uncertain, and it may become just another American religion.
The main remaining distinctions may be in liturgical form.

David Bentley Hart is an American writer, philosopher, religious scholar, critic, and theologian who has authored over 1,000 essays and 19 books, including a very well-known translation of the New Testament and several volumes of fiction.

In this conversation, Tyler and David discuss ways in which Orthodox Christianity is not so millenarian, how theological patience shapes the polities of Orthodox Christian nations, how Heidegger deepened his understanding of Christian Orthodoxy, who played left field for the Baltimore Orioles in 1970, the simplest way to explain how Orthodoxy diverges from Catholicism, the future of the American Orthodox Church, what he thinks of the Book of Mormon, whether theological arguments are ultimately based on reason or faith, what he makes of reincarnation and near-death experiences, gnosticism in movies and TV, why he dislikes Sarah Ruden’s translation of the New Testament, the most difficult word to translate, a tally of the 15+ languages he knows, what he’ll work on next, and more.

Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video.

Recorded March 23rd, 2023.

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